Pontifical University of

St. Thomas Aquinas

Rome, Italy
www.angelicum.org
Overview
If the very first universities were born ex
corde Ecclesiae (from the heart of the Church),
studying in the heart of Rome at a pontifical
university is clearly an extraordinary oppor-
tunity—and one that is not out of reach for
American students with a decided interest in
serving the Church in some capacity.
Pontifical universities—officially char-
tered by the Vatican to confer Vatican-ap-
proved degrees—are scattered throughout
the world, with several concentrated in Rome.
Most focus on theological disciplines and
philosophy.
Students and recent graduates of these
universities tell us that studying in Rome quick facts
can be very appealing. Lay students study
Founded: 1908
alongside seminarians and priests, attending
Type of institution: Pontifical university
courses and lectures by some of the leading Setting: Urban
figures in the Church, often including Vati- Undergraduate enrollment: 523
can officials and advisors. Outside the class- Undergraduate cost: €1,320 (Tuition only, no
room, the intellect is almost overwhelmed room or board, for 2009-10)
by the senses, with the sights everywhere of Undergraduate majors: Four
the historical Church and the Roman Empire,
as well as the liturgies, celebrations and au- Five Key Points
diences of the living Church. A few years in
1. Pontifical university in Rome offering
Rome offer a cultural and spiritual experience
Vatican-approved degrees.
without comparison.
2. English-only undergraduate programs
But caution: study in Rome is not for ev-
in philosophy and theology.
eryone. The opportunities for English-speak-
3. Specialized studies without a core
ing students are limited; most universities of-
liberal arts foundation.
fer courses only in Italian, and even courses
taught in English often require reading in oth- 4. Interaction with Vatican officials and
leading educators in Rome.
er languages. The Pontifical Lateran Univer-
sity (usually called “the Lateran”), the Jesuits’ 5. Very low-cost education overseas.
Pontifical Gregorian University (“the Grego-

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Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas
rian”) and Opus Dei’s Pontifical University of
the Holy Cross (“Santa Croce”) were recom-
mended to us for American lay students, but
require study in Italian. We therefore focus
this profile on the only English-language op-
tion—which is also highly recommended.
Aside from the language barrier, there
are significant cultural distinctions that stu-
dents should be prepared
to accept. The pontifical
universities (like many Eu-
ropean universities) don’t
offer the integrated liberal
arts curriculum that we
tend to favor in The New-
man Guide; from the out-
set, students specialize in
particular disciplines. The
universities also offer little
by way of student activities
and culture, requiring a
level of maturity and inde-
pendence that Americans
are not often prepared for
right out of high school,
especially when living in
a foreign city. There is no
such thing as American-
style residence life.
Nevertheless, we spoke to several Ameri-
can students who are pleased with their expe-
rience at the Dominicans’ Pontifical Univer-
sity of St. Thomas Aquinas, more popularly
known as “the Angelicum” in honor of the
“Angelic Doctor of the Church.” It is the only
pontifical university in Rome that offers a full
first-cycle program (similar to a bachelor’s de-
gree program) in English. Students in theol-
ogy and philosophy can complete the entire
three-year program with English-speaking
professors. Students learn Italian during
this first cycle and usually continue toward
a license degree (after about five years) or a
doctoral degree (after about eight years and a
dissertation).
294
The Angelicum has a broadly interna-
tional student body, with about 1,200 stu-
dents from 90 countries—especially the Unit-
ed States, India, Italy and Poland. In 2008-09,
43 percent of the nearly 700 theology students
and 18 percent of the nearly 180 philosophy
students were from North America. Depend-
ing on the program, roughly 20 to 25 percent
of the students are lay
persons.
The school year is
somewhat later than the
standard American year.
Classes begin in mid-Oc-
tober and run through the
end of May.
The 2009-10 tuition
price is a bargain rela-
tive to American colleges:
1,320 Euros ($1,871 in U.S.
dollars as of August 2009).
Pay attention to addition-
al fees for such things as
the baccalaureate exam
(110 Euros), fast-track ap-
plications (20 Euros) and
late payment (100 Euros).
Food and housing are
relatively expensive and
arranged independently by the student, al-
though the university’s student affairs office
will make recommendations.
Governance
The Angelicum is sponsored by the Domini-
cans, known for their orthodoxy and exper-
tise in Thomistic philosophy. Most of the
faculty are Dominican priests, and about 80
priests live on campus.
The chancellor (gran cancelliere) is Fr. Car-
los Azpiroz Costa, O.P., an Argentinian and
Master of the Order of Preachers since 2001.
He earned his doctorate in canon law at the
The Newman Guide

Angelicum and is a former professor in the
canon law department.
Fr. Charles Morerod, O.P., became rector
(rector magnificus) of the Angelicum in Sep-
tember 2009, succeeding Fr. Joseph Agius,
O.P. Father Morerod was previously dean of
the university’s philosophy department and a
theology professor. In April 2009, Pope Bene-
dict XVI also named him secretary general
of the International Theological Commission
and consultor to the Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith. A native of Switzerland,
Fr. Morerod edits the Thomistic journal Nova
et Vetera and authored the book The Church
and the Human Quest for Truth. He earned
doctorates in theology from the University of
Fribourg and in philosophy from the Catholic
Institute of Toulouse.
Public Identity
A visit to the campus of the Angelicum is a
step back in time. The university is housed at
the ancient Dominican monastery of Saints
Domenic and Sixtus, with the classrooms
and offices surround-
ing a courtyard in the
middle. The campus
includes a contempla-
tion garden for quiet
prayer.
The interior of the
university chapel—
the old monastery
church—is breathtak-
ing by American stan-
dards while typical of
older Roman church-
es. It is not used very
often due to the lack
of heating, but key annual liturgies are held
there. The university also has a small Eucha-
ristic Adoration chapel where students have
prayed during normal class hours for more
than eight years.
The Newman Guide
Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas
The Angelicum is proud of its faculty,
who include Fr. Wojciech Giertych, O.P.,
Theologian of the Papal Household, and Fr.
Abelardo Lobato, O.P., former president of the
Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas and the In-
ternational Thomas Aquinas Society.
And no alumnus is as celebrated as Pope
John Paul II, who as Karol Wojtyla earned his
doctorate in theology at the Angelicum in the
late 1940s. The university has dedicated its
first semester from October 2009 to January
2010 to the thought and life of Pope John Paul
II with interdisciplinary courses and semi-
nars, publication of a new edition of Wojtyla’s
doctoral thesis with commentary, and a con-
ference discussing his thesis and the environ-
ment of Rome in the 1940s. In the summer of
2010, students will participate in pilgrimages
throughout Rome to study the life of Pope
John Paul II as student and pope.
Academics
Unlike liberal arts institutions, the Angeli-
cum requires no core curriculum across de-
partments. All stu-
dents specialize, and
lay students tend
toward the philoso-
phy and theology
departments—which
are also the only two
that currently offer
English-only classes
during the first cycle.
To get a liberal
arts grounding, stu-
dents will generally
need at least a couple
years at an American
college or university before heading to Rome.
Most likely they will not, however, be able to
apply credits to Angelicum courses—often in-
cluding philosophy and theology credits. Stu-
dents who have earned a bachelor’s degree in
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Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas

the U.S. will often need to take more courses
to obtain a pontifical bachelor’s degree. Sev-
eral of our interviewees said this was one of
the most difficult things to accept about study
in Rome.
The Angelicum’s other departments are
canon law and social sciences. The latter is
focused primarily on development in poorer
countries, with mostly East European stu-
dents and some Africans and Americans.
The philosophy department—and to
some extent the entire faculty—concentrates
on the writings of Thomas Aquinas and
Thomistic philosophers, which suits many
students just fine. Other students wanting
to study a greater variety of philosophical
approaches will complete the first cycle and
then transfer to the Gregorian or elsewhere
for their advanced studies.
To earn the bachelor’s degree, philoso-
phy students complete three years of course-
work and must demonstrate mastery of Lat-
in. The courses consider basic philosophical
themes—man, God and the world—as well as
the history of philosophy, with exposure to
philosophers’ original works. The program

Message from the Rector

Dear Parents and Prospective Students:

The Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (“Angelicum”) is the

University of the Dominican Order in Rome. Our 1,200 students come from
90 countries, the two main countries being the United States and Italy. We
are the only pontifical university in Rome with classes both in English and
Italian. Our students are taught by 150 Dominican friars and sisters, diocesan clerics, men and
women religious from a wide variety of congregations and lay professors from 30 different coun-
tries.

What unifies the teaching of the four Faculties – Theology, Canon Law, Philosophy and So-
cial Sciences – is the reference to the teaching of the Angelic Doctor: St. Thomas Aquinas. Our
students appreciate this as very valuable for their personal formation. The students also like
the religious atmosphere of the University, the possibility to pray on campus and the family-like
environment. Of course, Rome provides a unique experience of the universal Church.

The most renowned alumnus of our University, the late John Paul II, stressed in his Encycli-
cal Fides et Ratio the importance of a unified relationship between faith and reason. This is the
very heart of St. Thomas Aquinas’ contribution to the life of the Church. Pope Benedict XVI
refers to the same argument as essential for peace in the world and for the cultural presence
of Catholics. It is our commitment to serve the Church in these lines with our teaching and
research.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Charles Morerod, O.P.

296 The Newman Guide


includes courses in psychology and logic.
Students attend class for about 15 to 18 hours
per week, not including supplemental studies
in Latin for students who need it.
The theology department is reported to
be orthodox, but a few students cautioned
that some professors of biblical studies—not
only at the Angelicum, but at most of the
pontifical universities—still tend to rely on
the historical-critical method of studying
the Bible. This method of considering prov-
able historical facts
and social context has
been denounced as
too often lacking the
perspective of faith,
without which God’s
divine plan and the
Gospels cannot be
fully appreciated.
Our interviewees sug-
gested that students
without sufficient
prior knowledge of
theology and biblical
scholarship may find
it tricky to navigate
the general introduction course and eight ad-
ditional courses in scripture required for a
bachelor’s degree.
First-cycle theology students also take in-
troductory courses in fundamental theology,
moral theology, spirituality and even Church
archaeology and history. A series of courses
study the mystery of salvation according to
St. Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae. Spe-
cialized courses focus on grace, virtue and
contemporary social justice issues. Students
will begin to learn New Testament Greek and
biblical Hebrew.
Admission to the first-cycle theology pro-
gram requires two years of prior study in phi-
losophy. Angelicum’s philosophy department
offers an intensive one-year program that sat-
isfies this requirement but does not end in a
The Newman Guide
Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas
degree. Only older students who have studies
of at least three years of a college education
can take advantage of the one-year course.
Catholic colleges in the United States—
including Christendom College and the
Franciscan University of Steubenville, both
recommended in The Newman Guide—have
made arrangements with the Angelicum for
specially designed programs, often part of
their Rome semester programs. The Angeli-
cum is open to more such arrangements; stu-
dents should inquire
with their host insti-
tutions.
Although the
former monastery
that serves as the
Angelicum’s campus
is quaint, the facili-
ties are older and less
well-equipped than
American college
students are used to.
The library requires
a significant adjust-
ment in expecta-
tions: Italian tariffs
make books published outside the country
extremely expensive, and so students are not
permitted to borrow books. Instead, reading
must be done in the library, or pages can be
photocopied. Many of the books are in Ital-
ian and other languages; few are in English.
A consortium allows students to access books
at all the pontifical universities in Rome.
Spiritual Life
With so many priests around, it is not surpris-
ing that the Angelicum offers many opportu-
nities for Mass. regular confessions and spiri-
tual counseling. But because students do not
live on the campus, the most popular Masses
are at midday during the week. Most students
attend daily and Sunday Mass elsewhere.
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Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas
Residential Life
The Angelicum does not provide student
housing, and only the Dominicans live on
campus. Most lay students rent or lease apart-
ments in the historical district of Rome; the
quaint Trastevere district is increasingly pop-
ular among university students for housing
and nightlife. Some students prefer the beach
towns about an hour away, which offer low-
cost rental housing during the off-season. The
university’s Office of Student Affairs helps
students with information on affordable and
available housing.
The non-lay students are primarily re-
ligious men and women who live with their
orders in Rome and outside the city. While
many diocesan priests attend the Angelicum,
a larger proportion study at the Gregorian
and other universities.
The Community
The Angelicum lies just on the eastern edge
of the historic district of Rome, north of the
ancient Roman Forum and within walking
distance to the Colosseum. It is a safe area of
the city, with restaurants and shops nearby.
The campus is easily accessible by pub-
lic transportation; it is near a subway station,
298
and buses stop at the campus entrance. Stu-
dents who prefer to walk are within a reason-
able distance of the Vatican and the Traste-
vere district.
Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport is
about a hour’s drive from the Angelicum, de-
pending on traffic. It is Italy’s largest airport,
serving more than 35 million passengers a
year, and hosts several major airlines from
the United States.
The Bottom Line
The appeal of studying in Rome is undeni-
able—at the Dominicans’ pontifical university,
no less. The Angelicum offers an impressive
and rigorous curriculum for students who are
prepared to specialize in philosophy or theol-
ogy, and to enjoy living independently in one
of Europe’s most magnificent cities.
It is not, however, a reasonable option
for most American students. Families should
carefully weigh students’ maturity level,
need for a liberal arts foundation, and abil-
ity to benefit from a more typical Catholic
campus environment before planning for an
overseas education. If study at the Angelicum
seems appropriate, students will find a faith-
ful Catholic program awaiting them in the
heart of the Eternal City.
The Newman Guide